Dyson Accepts Invite To Race At Le Mans

Chris Dyson will be heading to Le Mans. (Photo courtesy of the American Le Mans Series)

RacinToday.com

Dyson Racing has accepted two automatic entry invitations for this year’s 80th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 16th and 17th.

The team will enter two new Lola B12/60 coupes in the race, powered by upgraded versions of the same AER-built Mazda engines that took the team to the American Le Mans Series championships in 2011.

ALMS champions Chris Dyson and Guy Smith are confirmed as drivers, and the team will be assisted in its foray to the 24 Hours of Le Mans by European-based team Status Grand Prix.

The team received its entries for winning the 2011 ALMS Championship and the Green X Challenge, two of the five ALMS titles the team won last year, including titles for Mazda and Dunlop tires.

“Both my dad and I have raced at Le Mans and have always said we would go back with our team when we were able to run competitively with a proper program,” said Chris Dyson, Vice President and Sporting Director of Dyson Racing. “This is a natural extension of the momentum from last year’s winning season. Even with our long-term history in endurance racing, entering Le Mans propels our team to its next native level. It is the greatest endurance race in the world. All of our partners have been hugely supportive of this step and we look forward to having a strong run in the race.”

The cars will be entered and engineered by Dyson Racing with UK-based Status GP providing additional technical and commercial support for the effort. Status GP won the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 2009 and has been a multiple race-winning and championship contending team in GP3 in 2010 and ’11.

The team’s personnel have experience competing at Le Mans and have helped customers secure top 10 finishes in the GT1 and LMP2 classes in 2006 and 2011.

“It is a privilege to work with Dyson Racing as they embark on a two car campaign at the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Status GP founder Mark Gallagher. “We will assist them technically and commercially, and our goal is to help ensure that this legendary teamenjoys a highly successful event with minimum disruption to the defense of their American Le Mans Series championship titles.”

“We are very excited to join forces with Status Grand Prix, a mutual friend of Lola and a group that has proven to be of the top drawer in recent years,” Dyson added. “Their key staff has decades of Le Mans experience and success, and partnering with them was an easy decision.” In coming weeks, Dyson Racing and Status Grand Prix will be working diligently together to finalize the program’s commercial package and driver lineups. Announcements of these details will be forthcoming. (more)

Lola, a long time Dyson Racing partner, won both the European-based Le Mans Series and American Le Mans Series LMP1 championships in 2011 and was the highest placed petrol-powered car in last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. For 2012, Lola has taken another step forward with improved aerodynamics, efficient packaging and advancements in suspension technology for the B12/60 coupe, as it continues to build on its more than 50 years of winning history